STATEMENT BY MR. LLOYD GEORGE. (Hansard, 28 February 1912)

§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Lloyd George)

The following proposals for a settlement of the coal dispute were yesterday submitted by the Prime Minister on behalf of His 1493 Majesty's Government to the representatives of the coalowners and also of the miners:—

"1. His Majesty's Government are satisfied, after careful consideration, that there are cases in which underground employés cannot earn a reasonable minimum wage, from causes over which they have no control.
"2. They are further satisfied that the power to earn such a wage should be secured by arrangements suitable to the special circumstances of each district. Adequate safeguards to be provided to protect the employers from abuse.
"3. His Majesty's Government are prepared to confer with the parties as to the best method of giving practical effect to these conclusions, by means of district Conferences between the parties, a representative appointed by the Government being present.
"4. In the event of any of the Conferences failing to arrive at a complete settlement within a reasonable time, the representatives appointed by His Majesty's Government to decide jointly any outstanding points for the purpose of giving effect in that district to the above principles."

During the course of to-day the above proposals were considered by the representatives of both parties, with the following results.

At a Conference between the Representatives of the Government and the Coalowners this afternoon it was reported that the employers representing the districts included in the English Conciliation Board, namely, Lancashire, Yorkshire, the Midlands, and North Wales, had passed the following resolutions:—

"(1) The coalowners in the federated area accept the proposals put forward by His Majesty's Government.
"(2) In accepting the proposals, the coalowners expect the Government to make such arrangements as will enable them to look forward with confidence to the due performance of agreements entered into in the future, and to secure that such agreements shall be binding on both sides for some considerable period."

The employers representing Durham passed the following resolution:— The proposals of the Government will impose serious additional burdens on the coal trade, and the coalowners of the county of Durham, if consulting their own interests, would hesitate to consent to the conditions put forward. In view, however, of the disastrous consequences which must result to the country from a stoppage of work, the owners will be prepared to accept the proposals. The Cumberland employers also accepted the proposals of the Government. The Northumberland employers, by a 1494 majority, were unable to accept these proposals.

The Scottish coalowners passed the following resolution:— The coalowners of Scotland regret that they cannot accept the proposals of His Majesty's Government. They abide by the agreement made at the Board of Trade on 30th July, 1909, to which the President and officials of the Board of Trade were parties. If there are cases in which underground employés do not earn a reasonable wage it is in exceptional circumstances. The coalowners are prepared to meet the employés' representatives with a representative of the Government to arrange machinery to prevent any injustice and to fix remuneration in abnormal places in cases of dispute. They are prepared to agree that in the event of such meeting failing to arrive at a settlement the matter should be referred to the decision of a neutral chairman. The South Wales coalowners passed the following resolution:— The coalowners of South Wales adhere strictly to their present Agreement, which terminates by notice at the earliest date on 31st March, 1915. After most careful consideration they are unanimous in stating that they cannot agree to the Government's proposals. The representatives of the smaller districts—the Forest of Dean, Somerset, and Bristol—were unable to accept the Government proposals.

The effect of the above Resolutions is that the proposals of His Majesty's Government were accepted by coalowners representing over 60 per cent. of the coal trade of the country as measured by output.

The conference of the Miners' Federation which answered the Government's proposals this morning passed the following resolution:— That we agree to re-affirm the resolution passed on the 7th instant in this hotel by the Executive Committee and the seventeen additional representatives from districts, and we repeat that there can be no settlement of the present dispute unless the principle of an individual minimum wage for all underground workers is agreed to by the coalowners. We are still willing to meet the coalowners at any time they desire to discuss the minimum rates of each district, as passed at special conferences of this federation. During the course of the day the executive committee of the Miners' Federation conferred twice with the representatives of His Majesty's Government with respect 1495 to the above resolution, and in the course of the proceedings the committee resolved as follows:— That we ask His Majesty's Government, in case they decide to publish our resolution of this morning, to also publish along with it our definition that the minimum referred to in that resolution is the schedule of wages already laid before the coalowners and His Majesty's Government. In reply to questions by the Prune Minister, the executive committee stated that the effect of the conference resolution was that they concurred in the first two propositions put forward by His Majesty's Government, but that, as regards 3, they could only enter into such conferences on the understanding that the minimum wage to be fixed in each district should be at the rate revised and finally adopted by the Miners' Federation on 2nd February. As regards 4, they desire to express no opinion on the question of arbitration on the subject of safeguards and other detailed arrangements, while declining it for the reasons above stated on the subject of the amount of the minimum wage to be fixed in each district.

At the conclusion of the conferences the Prime Minister stated that the Government had made itself responsible for putting forward proposals to ensure that a reasonable minimum wage should be secured for underground workers, and that these proposals had been accepted by a majority of coalowners, but that it was impossible, without discussion and negotiation between the parties, as proposed by the Government, to determine the amount of the minimum wage suitable to each district. On the other hand, the representatives of the men stated that they were not prepared to regard the amount of the minimum wage for coal-getters, as revised and finally adopted by the Miners' Federation on the 2nd February, 1912, as open to negotiations.

At the request of the Prime Minister the representatives of both parties agreed to be available for further consultation to-morrow.